July 28, 2026
Charged up, splashed down
Una Watch: Garmin watch competitor but repairable, open ecosystem and USB-C
The fix-it fitness watch is tempting Garmin fans, but the water panic is already here
TLDR: UNA is launching a repairable GPS sports watch with replaceable parts, USB-C charging, and a more open approach than big brands. Commenters love the fix-it idea and hate proprietary chargers, but they’re loudly arguing over one big catch: it’s not meant for swimming.
A new sports watch called UNA is pitching itself as the anti-disposable rival to Garmin: repairable, upgradeable, open to developers, and charged with plain old USB-C instead of a cursed proprietary cable. On paper, that sounds like catnip for gadget fans. In the comments, people instantly latched onto the dream: finally, a watch where a dying battery or cracked screen does not mean tossing the whole thing. One commenter basically summed up the mood with, yes please, anything but Garmin’s annoying charger.
But the real comment-section soap opera? Water. UNA says the watch is splashproof and showerproof, but not for swimming because of its modular, easy-to-repair design. That one detail sent the crowd into full side-eye mode. Skeptics were not buying the “innovative modular design” spin, with one person joking they’d be rich if they got a dollar every time an IPX5 device died after too much rain. Ouch. Another hot take went the opposite direction, arguing USB-C on a watch is simply too bulky and makes waterproofing harder, which turned the beloved charging port into a mini culture war.
There was also some delicious buyer’s remorse drama: one freshly minted Garmin owner admitted they’re still in the return window and are now reconsidering. That’s the vibe around UNA right now: huge excitement over repairability and openness, mixed with a very loud “but can it survive real life?”
Key Points
- •UNA markets its GPS sports watch as repairable, upgradeable, fully modular and designed for long-term ownership.
- •The watch’s listed features include dual-frequency GPS, a 6-axis accelerometer, always-on heart rate monitoring, a barometric altimeter, USB-C charging and up to 10-day battery life.
- •UNA says the watch uses a replaceable 280 mAh hard-shell battery that can be swapped with a single screwdriver.
- •The product page states that activities can sync to Strava through the UNA mobile app, which is available on iOS and Android.
- •UNA lists a store launch date of 28 July 2026, with launch pricing of £219.99 and $239.99, following a successful Kickstarter campaign.